THUMP, THUMP, THUMP: 1927 BUGATTI GRAND TOURER

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This Bugatti will make your heart beat faster or your tail wag harder. It’s coming to auction in June at Hershey with lots of its original hardware in tact despite some major tinkering over the years.

Still a glory to behold! Or to bark at.

Coming to auction in Hershey, PA in June is a 1927 Bugatti Type 38A Grand Sport. Sure, Bugatti was dominant in motor racing with the Type 35 in the late 20s. But their grand touring cars were pretty damn “magnifique” themselves.

Photos by Michael Furman, courtesy The Finest Automobile Auctions

The Type 38A borrowed components from the Type 30, the Type 35A and the Type 37A. This particular 38A was fitted with an Art Deco inspired factory Grand Sport boattail body. It was born a four-seater riding on a 123-inch wheelbase.

A 2.0 liter, inline eight engine with a Roots- style supercharger produced in the neighborhood of 100 horsepower. That didn’t make it the fastest of its peers, but it competed. A second owner sought to improve performance by shortening the frame to a two-seater. The Bugatti was to remain a two-seater for nearly 60 years. That’s when Dr. Terry Bennett – a New England collector and small town doctor who was willing to make house calls – bought it and restored it to its “as built” form. Which means back to a four-seater.

When it became a two seater, the Bugatti also lost its supercharger in favor normal aspiration. Dr. Bennett restored the supercharger upon complete restoration to “as built”.

Expectation is that the winner of the auction will have to cough up as much as $600,000 to the good doctor. June 11: The Elegance at Hersheyauction. The Bentley will have some awe-inspiring company, including…